UK households who pay water and broadband bill urged to claim share of £2billion

Citizens Advice has warned people over a "postcode lottery" of support for low income families amid the Cost of Living crisis.

Families can benefit from unclaimed £2bn help with water and broadband bills, they have been told. Citizens Advice has warned people over a "postcode lottery" of support for low income families amid the Cost of Living crisis.

Citizens Advice found identical households are receiving “completely different” levels of support depending on where they live because of a lack of consistency and effort to promote social tariffs among water and broadband suppliers.

An adviser from Kent's Dover and Deal district said: "You have to really jump through some high hoops for the social tariff. My clients have needed me to put in the application, to do the legwork... but they're the lucky ones that have that support."

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CA chief executive, Dame Clare Moriarty, said: "For too long, people have been in the dark about extra financial support available, which could ultimately affect if someone keeps warm, or falls into debt on their water bill.

"Solutions to this are hiding in plain sight." It said a low-income household could be missing out on an average saving of at least £350 a year - with £1.9bn sitting unclaimed across water and broadband schemes alone.

Citizens Advice said the government could take immediate action “without having to spend a penny” by ensuring suppliers proactively offer social tariffs to their low-income customers, aided by better data sharing between government departments and firms.

Moriarty said: “Worrying numbers of people continue to be forced to take drastic measures, like cutting back their spending on water and energy, in the face of unmanageable essential costs. “Social tariffs have a crucial role to play in shielding low-income households from unaffordable bills."

Henry Parkes, principal economist at the IPPR, said: “Growing numbers of households are spending inordinate amounts on the essentials, highlighting that although inflation may have slowed, higher prices are here to stay, with those on the lowest incomes squeezed the most.

“Alongside other bold policy action, effective social tariffs could make a real difference in tackling this crisis in living standards.”